(ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dr. Stephen D. Nadauld, the 17th President of Dixie State University, announced Wednesday that he will retire as president at the end of the institution’s 2013-14 academic year.

Nadauld, 71, made the formal announcement to DSU faculty and staff during a meeting held in the Browning Resource Center Dunford Auditorium. The announcement concludes a brilliant career in higher education, including nearly six years at the helm at Dixie State.

“After much deliberation, and with the twin emotions of elation at the experience and sadness at the thought of it ending, I have concluded that I should announce my retirement from the university,” Nadauld said. “As I have thought about how this presidency at Dixie has been an incredible capstone to a long career, I am filled with gratitude to all who have made it possible and so enjoyable.

“In the meantime, please know that I will be forever grateful for this extraordinary experience, during which we have grown to love the students, faculty, staff, alumni, community, and all with whom we have associated,” Nadauld added.

After meeting with members of DSU’s Board of Trustees, Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) Commissioner David Buhler, and members of the Utah State Board of Regents, Nadauld agreed to stay on as DSU president until his successor has been named and is able to take office. In the coming weeks, the Utah State Board of Regents will appoint a search committee to conduct a national search for a new president of Dixie State University.

“It is the feeling that making this retirement announcement at this time will give the Regents an opportunity to do a thorough search for a new president without the need to appoint an interim president during the process,” Nadauld noted.

During his tenure, President Nadauld has been at the helm during a number of crowning achievements and advancements at the institution. Those accomplishments include:

• The unprecedented enrollment growth at Dixie State, which catapulted the school into the fastest growing four-year institution in the USHE system. Currently DSU is a USHE-best 29.6% ahead in terms of total headcount (+37.14% in budget-related FTE) enrollment since 2008.

• The addition of 15 new baccalaureate degree programs, as well as several two-year and certificate programs, and new academic minors. The program additions also include the hiring of nearly 50 new faculty members with Ph.D. credentials.

• Continuous growth in the number of degrees awarded, including a school-record 542 baccalaureate degrees conferred last spring, along with nearly 1,200 associate degrees.

• The cultivation of a number of community partnerships, including the City of St. George, the Washington County School District, Intermountain Healthcare and the Dixie Applied Technology College.

• Dixie State’s Centennial Celebration – Commemorating 100 Years of Service with several campus and community events over a 17-month span in advance of the institution’s 100th birthday on September 19, 2011.

• The construction of the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons, which officially opened in June of 2012, and dedicated in September of 2012. The Holland Centennial Commons serves as the new home of DSU’s Library, along with the institution’s English department, business services and IT departments. The building features 26 group study areas and six classrooms, along with a digital signage/interactive touchscreen wayfinding system and two food and beverage venues, among many other amenities. In addition, the facility supports Dixie State’s mission to provide a student-centered learning environment by hosting all the services students will need in one location, including registration, financial aid, advising and counseling.

• The reconstruction of the old library into the Edward H. and Idonna E. Snow Science Center, in addition to many other campus facility improvements, including the remodel of the Jennings Building, the Gardner Student Center, and the relocation of the Testing Center.

• The recent addition of eight new outdoor memory gardens and student study areas, and many other campus landscaping additions and improvements.

• Upgrades to DSU athletic facilities, including the addition of the Frank Habibian Wrestling and Athletic Center, along with the installation of a new football field at Hansen Stadium, basketball floor inside the Burns Arena, and the remodeling of the gymnasium in the Student Activities Center (Old Gym).

However, Nadauld’s legacy at Dixie State will be forever cemented in its proud 102-plus year history thanks to his efforts to gain the institution university status earlier this year. After both the institution’s Board of Trustees and the Utah State Board of Regents approved university status last January, both houses of the Utah State Legislature voted to pass House Bill 61 on February 13, which called for Dixie State College to attain university status and change its name to Dixie State University. Three days later on Feb. 16, 2013, Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert signed HB61 into law making DSU the sixth university in the USHE system and the third open enrollment regional university in Utah. Additionally, Dixie State continues its community college mission in providing two-year and certificate programs to meet the needs of all students and the community.

At the time calling it “one of the most satisfying team efforts,” Nadauld paid tribute to Dixie State’s faculty, staff and administration, who worked to prepare the degrees, while providing the advising and other services necessary to students in order for the institution to meet all the benchmarks necessary to attain university status. He then went on to thank the students for their support, noting that “without them, none of this would be possible,” and “it’s for them that we do all this – it’s on behalf of the students and their success and their potential ability to contribute later on in society.”

Nadauld acknowledged and thanked the alumni, the Dixie College Foundation and the community, as well as the institution’s Board of Trustees, the Utah State Board of Regents and the USHE Commissioner’s Office. He also lauded the efforts of the southern Utah delegation of the Utah State Legislature, led by Representative Don Ipson and State Senator Steve Urquhart, who both championed the cause to allow Dixie State to achieve university status.

Nadauld was appointed interim president of then-Dixie State College on March 27, 2008, following the resignation of former President Dr. Lee G. Caldwell. Then on January 15, 2010, the Utah State Board of Regents unanimously voted to permanently appoint Nadauld as the 17th president of DSU, and he was formally inaugurated two months later on March 19. Previously, Nadauld had served as president of Weber State University from 1985 to 1990.

He has held several positions at Brigham Young University’s Marriott Graduate School of Management, including director of the Master of Business Administration program from 1980-1983, and professor of finance from 1976-1983. Nadauld has also served as an instructor of finance at both the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Utah.

A native of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Nadauld earned a doctorate from UC-Berkeley, a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, with minors in Mathematics, Physics and French from BYU. He has also attended the University of Idaho and Ricks College.

He has earned numerous awards and honors: Outstanding Finance Professor (BYU, 2002); Outstanding Teacher of the Year (School of Business, UC Berkeley, 1976); Honorary Doctorate (Weber State, 1991); and the Silver Beaver Award (Boy Scouts of America, 1992). He currently serves as a board member for the O.C. Tanner Corporation and the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority (UHEAA), and is a former board member with the Deseret Book Corp.

Nadauld has dedicated several years of service to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including serving as the president of the Geneva Switzerland Mission (2003-06) and serving as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy (1991-96).

President Nadauld and his wife, Margaret Dyreng Nadauld, have seven sons and 29 grandchildren. Mrs. Nadauld served as the Young Women General President for the LDS Church from 1997-2002.

Statement from DSU Board of Trustees Chair Steven G. Caplin:

“We are grateful to President Nadauld for his remarkable vision and leadership. Under his direction the Dixie brand has flourished and our campus has expanded with new buildings and improvements. During President Naduald’s tenure, student enrollment has blossomed, dozens of bachelor degrees have been added to our academic offerings, and the faculty has grown in both quantity and stature, as we have become a fine University. The pace of Dixie’s progress has certainly accelerated due to the efforts of Stephen Nadauld, and his contributions have helped chart the course of this institution for decades to come.”

Statement from USHE Commissioner David Buhler:

“President Nadauld has been a transformative leader for Dixie State University. Not only did he lead the transition to becoming a state university during challenging economic times, but he has guided the building of a physical campus that positively reflects Dixie’s growing mission.”

Statement from Utah State Board of Regents Chair Bonnie Jean Beesley:

“President Nadauld has been the right man at the right time to articulate a vision for Dixie State University, chart a path for accomplishment and bring institution and community together such that implementation was possible. We recognize and express gratitude for his professionalism, persistence and passion. His willingness to remain until his replacement is named is yet another example of his thoughtful care and concern for the institution.”